Atlanta Braves

Record heat greets Cardinals-Braves NLDS opening game

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:50 p.m. ET

ATLANTA (AP) — The hottest October day in Atlanta history created sweltering conditions for Game 1 of the National League Division Series.

The first-pitch temperature was 94 degrees Thursday for the opener of the best-of-five series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves.

The high of 97 set an Atlanta record for the month _ 20 degrees above the normal high of 77.

Fans were offered free cups of water at stands as they entered SunTrust Park. Even those sitting in the shade fanned themselves to combat the heat.

Players didn’t seem to be affected by the heat as they took their normal pregame batting practice. The Braves, whose dugout was in the shade, had better protection than the Cardinals, who baked in the direct sun in the visitor’s dugout on the third-base line.

It wasn’t a record high for postseason baseball. The first-pitch temperature was 103 in Los Angeles for Game 1 of the 2017 World Series between the Dodgers and Astros.